Off with their uniforms

Tailored cut: from left, Raymond Bruce, chief Yeoman Warder John Keohane and Tom Trent in their traditional uniforms at the Tower of London

The Beefeaters of the Tower will today undergo a 21st century makeover.

Three new designs for the state dress of the Yeoman Warders are being unveiled at the landmark.

Created by fashion students, they are the best entries in a contest to launch the Design Museum's new show, Super Contemporary. They incorporate the wings of the raven - the bird which guards the tower - a lion's head helmet and a dress.

Students were invited to the Tower for a briefing and entries were judged by Christopher Bailey, creative director of Burberry. "The final three showed a really creative translation of a historical theme, and produced beautiful work that was exciting and innovative but which also had a typically British sense of humour," he said.

The top three were Bronwen Marshall, 27, Amy Greenland, 21, and Poppy Totman, 19. Ms Marshall said she felt the old uniforms "didn't have enough of a military edge", so took the ravens as inspiration for a more striking look.

Ms Greenland used British manufacturers, such as Gainsborough Silks from Suffolk, to make the jacquard waistcoat. She added a lion helmet, based on a 15th-century design, believing the present costume not scary enough: "I thought bringing some real guarding back to the Tower would be fun.

"I looked at 17th and 18th century military wear, but also took inspiration from ravens, heraldry and armour."

Ms Totman designed a uniform for Moira Cameron, who became the first woman to join the warders two years ago. It features a silk devoré jacket and a skirt decorated with a print that fades to nothing. "It's quite a romanticised vision," she said.

The students were briefed by chief yeoman warder John Keohane, who flagged up problems for modern Beefeaters, such as the absence of pockets for phones and radios.

He has promised to incorporate useful ideas into the traditional dress - though an overhaul is unlikely.

Their work will be shown outside the Design Museum during Super Contemporary. Designers including Paul Smith and Ron Arad have been asked to create something, whether a bus shelter or a bin, for London. Backed by gin brand Beefeater 24, it runs from tomorrow to 4 October, with an admission fee.